Sewing machine



Dec. 1, 1936. Q ROBERTS r AL 7 2,062,797 1 SEWING, MACHINE Filed Sept.28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l mam-12 l, 1936- -c. ROBER S E AL SEWINGMACHINE Filed Sept, 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 1', 19362,062,797 7 SEWING MACHINE Clifford Roberts, Winchester, and JohnM.Whelton, Peabody, Mass., assignors to United Shoe MachineryCorporatiom'Paterson, N; .L, a-corporation of New Jersey ApplicationSeptember 28, 1935, Serial No. 42,656

7 Claims. (01. 112 l5) UNITED STATES P TE T o 1=11 The present inventionrelates to improvementsin shoe machines, and more particularly tomachines for sewing the margins of shoe soles in which there is aconcealed channel having a flap beneath-which the seam is formed. Theinvention is herein shown as embodied in a sole sewing machine of theso-called McKay type having a straight hook needle and a work. supportwhich consists of a rotatable horn arranged to extend within the shoe,and provided at its tip with a needle threading device for laying thethread in the hook ofthe needle.

In stitching the outsole of a shoe having .a

seam concealing flap, it is necessary to raise the flap in advance ofthe point of operationof the stitch forming devices, andto hold it inraised position beyond the point where the stitches are completed. To dothis, it is customaryto provide a plow-shaped turning tool more or lesselon- 120 gated in theline of feed which acts directly on the flap. Withsuch an arrangement, the space about the point of operation. of thestitch forming devices is not only crowded, but the elongated contact ofthe flap turning tool with 25 the work-renders manipulation of the work.dif-

35 With this object in view the features of the present inventionincludethe provision of means,

in a machine for. operating upon a shoe sole having a seam concealingchannel, to raise the Ifiap covering the channel in advance of the. op-40 eration of the operatingdevices by a jet of compressed air directedagainst the work in the proper-direction. With the use of an air jet,elongated contact with the work, as occurs with the use of a specialflap turningtool is avoided 45 the air -jet being deflected by the flapand forced along theflap towards the oncoming work as it is fed to raiseit into proper position. In applying the invention to a sewing machineas herein described, a tubular conductor for direct- 50 ing the air jetagainst the Work is mounted on the presser foot of the machine, andpreferably there is provided a valve for shutting off the supply of airto the conductor while the machine is stopped.

Other features of the present invention con- 55 sist of certaiconstructions, combipations and "undesirable effects.

arrangements of parts, the radvantagesjof which will be apparent fromthe followingjdescription'.

In the drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form,'Fig.1, is a viewin' side eleVation of thefup-per portion, includin thestitch forming and work feeding devices,.of a sewing machine embodyingthe features of theinven-ftion; Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation onasomewhat larger scale, of a portion of the stitch forming and workfeeding devices withthe work in (10 operating position in themachineyFig. 3 is a view on a still further, enlarged scale, partly insection illustrating the operationpf the air jet in raising the channelflap of a shoe; and Fig. 4 is a plan view on the same scale as Fig. 3taken just above 5 the work showing the lowerends of, certain of thestitch forming devices in section. j

The machine illustrated in the drawings, comprises a straighthookn'eedle ID, a rotary work supporting, horn [2, a rotary shuttle 14,a presser foot I6, a feed point IS, a loop spreader 20, and other stitchformingdevices constructedand arranged tQoperate. in the mannerdescribed in U. S. patentto Bernard Leveque' No. l-,885,927 grantedNovember 1, 1932.

To operate the machine on a shoe sold-such?" as indicated at ;22 havinga seam concealing channel with aflap 24, it is necessary to raise theflap into an upright position as illustratedin Figs. 3 and 4, in orderthat the stitch forming devices may act properly. "The channel is usual-,ly formed-by'making'a continuous cut extending inwardly, from or nearthe margin of the sole and increasingin thicknessfro-m the margin sothatfrequently there is considerable resistance offered: against raisingthejflap when bent sharply at, its root, it being desirable to form' theseam as close as possible to the apex; oi'the' anglebe tween the flapand the sole. The pressure against the work guiding devices of themachinefre- I40 quired to raise the flap properly may cause improperoperation of the machine or produce-other in order that theseam maybe'formed 'close tothe apexlof the channel cut, in the embodiment of thepresent invention, a jetgof air under pr es sure is directed againsttheflap, so that after being deflected by the flap, the air will flowalong the channel to raise the flap at either side and particularly inadvance of the point of operation of the stitch forming devices. As theraised portion of the flap approaches the outlet of the jet, it need beraised only a small additional amount and maintained in raised positionby the side surface of the presser foot, which in the present machineacts as a work guiding member. The pressure on the presser foot is,therefore, less than would be required to raise the flap without the jetand the flap is raised a greater distance at either side than isotherwise possible with a guiding member of a dimension in the line offeed as narrow as the presser foot.

The air is provided for the jet by a tubular conductor 26 having itsoutlet, indicated at 28, in the side of the presser foot. The lower endof the presser foot is formed with a work gripping surface 30, the rearside surface past which the flap 24 moves being somewhat rounded toreduce the drag. The tubular conductor 26 is secured by a suitable clamp32 attached to the presser foot above the work, and the lower end of thetubular member passes horizontally through the presser foot so that theconductor is on the opposite side from the flap.

After the seam is completed and before the machine is again started, thesupply of air, which may be from any suitable source, is out 01f. Beforesewing is started, the work is moved into proper operating position withstitch-forming devices and the flap 24 raised by engagement with theside of the presser foot. As soon as the machine is started, air ispermitted to flow through the conductor 26 by opening a valve 34-connected with the conductor through a flexible tubing 36, the inlet tothe valve being at 38.

To operate the valve in starting the machine, it is connected with thedriving and stopping mechanism of the machine under the control of atreadle operated rod 40. As in the machine of the patent above referredto, this rod is connected at its upper end with an arm 42 secured to oneend of a horizontal shaft 44 extending across the machine. The other endof the shaft has fixed to it an arm 46 pivotally connected at its outerend with a valve operating rod 48. When the treadle rod is depressed instarting the machine, the operating rod 48 is moved downwardly to openthe valve and cause the jet to be started.

The jet is then directed against the flap and due to the shape of thelower end of the presser foot, the air is caused to flow into thecrevice and along the flap as it is fed, thereby raising the flapconsiderably in advance of the jet. To accentuate this result, the edgeof the presser foot first engaged by the flap and past which the jetescapes is cut back or beveled, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4,permitting the greater portion of air to escape in the desireddirection. Once having been raised, the flap is held in raised positionby the presser foot until the stitch-forming devices have operated,after which the flap may be bent back into its original position,concealing the stitches in the usual manner.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed is:

1. A shoe machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, a work support, suitable devicesfor operating on the work and means for directing a. jet of air underpressure against the work to r e e p fo the pe ating devices.

2. A sewing machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, a work support, a presser foot,stitch forming devices acting on the work between the work support andpresser foot, and a tubular conductor mounted on the presser foot fordirecting a jet of air under pressure against the work to raise the flapin advance of the point of operation of the stitch forming devices.

3. A sewing machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a worksup.- port, a presser foot engaging the work beneath the flap in advanceof the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, and meanscomprising a tubular conductor for directing a jet of air under pressureagainst the flap to assist the presser foot in raising the flap.

4. A sewing machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, a work support, a presser foot,stitch forming devices acting on the work between the work support andpresser foot, means comprising a tubular conductor for directing a jetof air under pressure against the work to raise the flap In advance ofthe point of operation of the stitch forming devices, and a valve on themachine for cutting oif the flow of air through the conductor when themachine is stopped.

5. A sewing machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, a work support, a presser foot,stitch forming devices acting on the work between the work support andpresser foot, means comprising a tubular conductor for directing a jetof air under pressure against the work to raise the flap in advance ofthe point of operation of the stitch forming devices, a valve on themachine for cutting oif the flow of air through the conductor, andconnections including a treadle operated rod for actuating the valve.

6. A sewing machine for operating upon work provided with a seamconcealing flap having, in combination, a needle, a work support, apresser foot having a gripping surface to engage the channel beneath theflap in advance of the point of operation of the needle and having aside surface with a bevelled edge to assist in holding the flap raisedas it is fed past the needle, and a tubular conductor on the presserfoot for directing a jet of air under pressure between the bevelled edgeof the pressed foot and flap towards the advancing flap to raise theflap for entrance of the presser foot.

7. A sewing machine of the McKay type for operating upon work providedwith a seam concealing flap having, in combination, a straight hookneedle, a rotary work supporting horn, a presser foot, a feed pointacting on the side of the work engaged by the presser foot to feed thework, and means comprising a tubular conductor for directing a jet ofair under pressure against the work to raise the flap in advance of thepoint of operation of the needle.

CLIFFORD ROBERTS. JOHN M. WHELTON.

